Summer Outings
by IsabellaBrandybuck
Summary: On a particular hot day in June, Frodo and Bilbo decide to go on an outing to Hobbiton lake. No slash, sex, violence, profanity. The cat verse is from Professor Tolkien's "Tolkien Reader", which is absolutely brilliant. Feedback always encouraged!


SUMMER OUTINGS

One fine June morning, Frodo Baggins opened his crystal blue eyes to greet the brilliant sunlight. His window had remained open all evening, allowing the cool air to billow in. Bag-End after all, could be dreadful hot in the summer!

Frodo yawned and stretched, sliding out of bed and padded to the round window. "Good morning, sun," he greeted tenderly, as though the tween knew it personally.

Frodo soon departed for the kitchen, his stomach rumbling at the scent of bacon and eggs wafting through the large, airy halls. He could hear Uncle Bilbo singing as he cooked, and paused ever so quietly in the doorway to listen.

"_The fat cat on the mat, may seem to dream, of nice mice that suffice for him, or cream; But he free, maybe, walks in thought, unbowed, proud, where loud roared and fought his kin, lean and slim, or deep in den..."_

Uncle Bilbo knew so many stories, songs, and poems from all over Middle Earth. He had an enormous collection of books in his study and library, all of which Frodo had complete access to on a daily basis.

"Good morning, Uncle Bilbo!" Frodo greeted cheerfully, and the older hobbit turned to face his nephew with a smile.

"Good morning, lad. Did you sleep well? First breakfast is almost ready, so have a seat." He patted the back of Frodo's chair, watching as the boy eagerly took the offer.

"I slept fine, thank you," Frodo answered. "What are we going to do today?" He was grateful for the fine weather, which made it easier to spend more time out doors. Bilbo eventually began tipping eggs and bacon onto Frodo's plate, and filled each of their cups with ice cold milk. Soon Bilbo joined him at the table, and the food was consumed rather quickly.

"I thought we'd go fishing on the lake," Bilbo suggested. "Perhaps go for a swim, eh? It's quite hot already outside."

Frodo beamed.

Bilbo was grateful that the lad showed little fear of the water following his parent's death on the Brandywine River ten years before. Of course, it took time, but when summer heat became too excessive the water provded a perfect release.

"Oh yes, Uncle, I'd like that very much," Frodo replied, downing his milk in a couple of gulps. "Will you let me row this time?"

Bilbo smiled softly. "In deed, my boy," he agreed. "You're quite big enough now to handle the oars, I should wager."

Frodo hiccuped, looking a little embarassed, and Bilbo chuckled. "I'm sorry," Frodo whispered as another one erupted, and Bilbo arched an eyebrow. "I think I drank my milk too fast."

"Oh dear," Bilbo laughed as the hiccups continued at a steady pace, nearly causing Frodo to drop his plate when he went to put it in the sink. "Try holding your breath for a few moments, lad,"

Frodo did as he was told, looking rather silly with his cheeks all puffed out.

When he felt he had quite enough, Frodo let out a mouthful of air, and sunk against the table.

"There now," Bilbo announced when silence followed, and Frodo waited expectantly.

"Good!" He smiled, and was able to continue helping Bilbo with the breakfast dishes.

Afterward, Bilbo allowed Frodo to invite young Samwise Gamgee to come fishing with them, and the lads were in the middle of finding worms for bait when Bilbo came out with the fishing poles.

"Look at this right juicy one, Mr. Bilbo," Sam announced, holding onto a rather fat and wriggly worm between his fingers. Bilbo nodded his approval and told Sam to drop it into the bucket, that it would do quite nicely.

They gathered half a bucket full of worms before setting out for the Hobbiton Lake on foot, passing several families out for a stroll on the way. The lake itself was crowded with hobbits of all ages. Some were swimming, some boating, some fishing, some simply resting under large shaded umbrellas.

Bilbo paid the hobbit who was in charge of the dock, and rented a roomy wooden boat for the afternoon.

"I've never been on a boat 'afore," Sam admitted nervousy. "Ma said I wasn't ta get in any scrapes!"

Frodo chuckled, ruffling the younger lad's hair, and assisted his Uncle with the poles.

"Nonsense, Sam, you're with us," he said. "Uncle Bilbo won't let anything happen to either of us."

"Frodo!" Ted Sandyman sat in his boat with Ruby Proudfoot, two of Frodo's good friends in Hobbiton. They rowed their boat closer, and Ruby stood, waving eagerly.

"Hello, Frodo! Hello Mr. Baggins!" she called, and Ted warned her at once to sit down, not wanting to risk tipping the boat. "Well, you can be sure I won't," she snapped, sitting down though at once. Frodo laughed at Ruby's response, and linked arms with his Uncle.

"Shall we?" he asked, and Bilbo nodded, lifting young Sam in first, and then assisting his nephew. It was certainly hot as an oven outside, but on the lake, the hobbits had some relief. Bilbo had also packed a nice picnic lunch for them, which sat untouched for the moment off to the corner.

"Have you ever fished before, Sam?" Frodo asked, as Bilbo handed him one of the three poles, and Sam stared at it with interest.

"Can't say that I have, Mr. Frodo, sir," Sam replied, and Frodo grinned.

"First off...as you're in this boat...there's no need to call me Mister or Sir," he corrected. "I'm just Frodo. Isn't that right, Uncle Bilbo?"

Bilbo laughed heartily, and patted his nephew's shoulder. "That's right, lad. No room for formalities on the lake."

Sam blushed as red as an apple, and Frodo began the process of baiting his own hook.

"There, see?" Frodo showed Sam the hook, where the still squirming worm sat, and Sam felt a little queasy to his stomach.

"Aye, Mr. Fro...I mean, Frodo."

"Why Sam, you look positively green," Frodo teased, and Sam swallowed noislessly.

"I think you'd better take care of mine...I don't think I can," Sam whispered, and Bilbo did the honors of Sam's hook.

"No trouble, lad," Bilbo insisted. "Baiting's not for everyone. It takes practice." He handed the rod back, and Sam watched intently as Bilbo sent the first cast.

"D'you really think we'll catch something?" Sam asked, trying to ignore Ted and Ruby as they were stealing kisses a few feet away. He'd sure gone on outings before with his own family, but nothing so grand as this. Usually his Ma was too busy with her chores in the smial, or his Gaffer with his gardening.

"Let's hope so," Bilbo replied, adjusting his hat, so it was in the perfect position to keep the sun from his eyes.

"I'll show you how to cast your rod, Sam," Frodo encouraged. "You tip it back like this...and then you let it fly until the bob hits the water."

Sam attempted a cast himself, but caught Bilbo's hat in the process.

"Oh dear," Sam muttered as Bilbo's hat went sailing into the lake with the force, and Frodo blinked for a moment.

"It takes practice, as I've said," Bilbo insisted.

"I'll get it!" Frodo called, removing his shirt, and dove into the water. Everyone around the park gasped with alarm...such awful manners for a grown hobbit to go splashing about!

Frodo soon emerged with the hat, safe and sound, though dripping and unusable.

"That wasn't necessary, Frodo-lad," Bilbo said, "But I thank you. How is the water?"

Frodo splashed about a little more, and lay on his back, floating slowly and gazing up at the clouds. "Perfect," he said, and Sam peered over the boat, frowning deeply. "Come in, Sam, it's fine!"

Sam shook his head, crouching futher away from the edge. "I'd rather not," he replied, and Frodo shrugged.

"Maybe you should disregard the pole altogether and fish with your hands, Frodo," Bilbo teased.

"That would be cheating, and Sam won't learn a thing if we don't teach him the proper way," Frodo replied, sticking out his tongue, and climbed carefully back into the boat. Bilbo offered a towel for Frodo to dry off with, and the lad accepted it with a grateful smile.

"Ooh, Mr. Bilbo sir, the line's tugging!" Sam cried, and Bilbo's eyes widened with excitement.

"Be careful, Uncle, not too fast, not too slow, that's it!" Frodo tutored, as though he were the expert fisher-hobbit.

"That's a right big one, Mr. Bilbo!" Sam complimented, as Bilbo pulled a fine sized trout into the boat.

"We have to remove the hook," Frodo explained, doing the honors, and Sam watched as the fish slowly began to stop moving, evntually remaining still.

"It's awful sad," Sam whispered, and Frodo looked at him.

"How do you mean, Sam?" Frodo asked, curious, and Sam looked at Bilbo who was preparing to put their first prize into the empty bucket.

"That we have to kill 'im. He was a right beautiful fish, too."

Bilbo chuckled warmly. "Heavens, Samwise, if we thought that way about every animal we came in contact with, we hobbits wouldn't eat anything.

"True," Sam agreed. His mother had always brought food mostly prepared from the market, so he didn't have to watch an animal suffer prior to eating it. "Just sad's, all."

Frodo glanced at Bilbo, who shook his head.

"You've got a good heart, lad," Bilbo spoke after a few moments of awkward silence, and Sam blushed.

They decided to take a little break from fishing in time for elevenes, and gathered on the bank to open the picnic basket.

"Golly!" Sam peered at the spread. Ham sandwiches, potato salad, fruit (apples, of course, were Frodo's very favorite), homemade ginger cookies (Bilbo's speciality), and a container of heated vegetables (carrots, corn, and brocolli).

"Is it to your liking, Sam?" Frodo asked, helping himself to a ham sandwich, as his stomach let out a fearsome growl.

"Good gracious, Frodo," Bilbo chortled.

"Sorry, Uncle," Frodo apologized with a grin, and took a bite. Soon enough, Ted and Ruby requested to join them with their own picnic pasket and blanket, to which Bilbo had not a single problem.

"Of course," he said, as Ruby sat down between Frodo and Sam. "Any friend of my lad's is a friend of mine. Please, help yourselves."

Chatter had soon been replaced by the sound of chewing, and before long, Bilbo grew tired enough to take a nap. He excused himeslf to lay down and have a bit of a snooze, his sudden onset of snoring causing the tween's to giggle.

"You have a good Uncle," Ted told Frodo, as they decided to play a couple of games. Hide and seek, of course, was one of the best.

"I do," Frodo agreed. "Now, who would like to be the seeker?"

He eyed Ted, Ruby, and Sam, who all clasped their hands innocently behind their backs.

"You be the seeker, Mr. Frodo," Sam said with a smile. "I daresay I'm better at hiding."

Ruby giggled, and Frodo agreed, closing his eyes and beginning to count to ten.

"One...two...three..."

"Hurry, Sam, c'mon," Ted whispered, grabbing the younger hobbit's arm, and the two of them found a good spot each. Sam in a shrub, Ted in the hollow space of a log.

Ruby found her way up a tree, which was one of the reasons Frodo liked her so much. She wasn't afraid of getting dirty, and was a right tomboy of a hobbit lass.

"Four, five, six..."

Ruby made sure the branches covered her, mouth to keep from giggling aloud.

"Seven, eight, nine, ten! Ready or not, here I come!"

Frodo opened his eyes, being mindful not to wake Bilbo as he stepped away from their spot. He had not much trouble finding Sam or Ted, but Ruby proved a bit more of a challenge. "Where in the name of the Shire did she go?" Ted asked, peeping in other bushes, behind rocks.

Frodo heard a random giggle from above, and glanced upwards. Ruby wasn't sitting in the particular tree he glanced at, but he realized now he knew her well enough to understand.

"Well, Ted," Frodo announced, and both Ted and Sam looked at him with concern. "I suppose Ruby's decided to go home. It's a right shame she'll have to miss out on Uncle Bilbo's ginger cookies."

A gasp, a thump, and a hug from behind caught Frodo off guard.

"I've not gone home, silly!" She said, and released him again. "I've only gone and found the best hiding place of all!"

Frodo grinned. "So you have, so you have," he agreed with a chuckle.

After a round of tag and marbles (Ted and Frodo had a fair collection of the toys each), they woke Bilbo in time for luncheon.

"Goodness, I've slept that long?" He asked with a yawn, and struggled to sit up with a wince. "These old bones aren't what they used to be."

The tweengers eagerly began to help themselves to more of the food, and Frodo took his favorite seat, on Bilbo's lap. He supposed no matter how old he'd grow, he'd never be too old for his Uncle's cuddles.

"Are you having a good day, my boy?" Bilbo asked as Frodo munched lazily on a apple. The heat wasn't nearly so bad anymore, and he was quite comfortable.

"A very good day, Uncle Bilbo," Frodo replied, and felt a gentle kiss on his curls. "A very good day." He allowed the warmth of the sunshine and the insistent chatter of his friends to lull him into a wave of Earthly bliss.


End file.
